The present invention relates to a modified control panel used in office machines and, more particularly, to a modified control panel used in office machines, which is capable of effectively shrinking machine size to meet the requirement of miniaturization without affecting operational convenience, thereby reducing material cost and packaging and transportation cost to enhance the competitive capacity of product.
Nowadays, various kinds of OA (office automation) products and information products are required to be miniaturized in design. However, the volume of an existent office machine is still too large, hence not meeting the requirement of miniaturization.
Office machines can roughly be divided into two types: single-function type and multiple-function type. For example, a photocopier, a printer, or a scanner is a single-function office machine, while a multiple-function printer integrating scanning, copying, printing, and faxing together is a multiple-function office machine.
For various kinds of conventional office machines in the market, control panels thereof to be operated and controlled by users are separately disposed at a separate block (projective portion) projecting from the machine. This is because the area for flatbed type scan/copy is very large. In order to prevent from blocking placement and incoming/outgoing of papers, a projective portion is required for the control panel. However, because the projective portion is beyond the main body of the machine, the machine has a larger volume and occupies a larger area, hence not meeting the requirement of miniaturization. Moreover, the design of internal components of the machine will be affected, and material cost and packaging and transportation cost of the machine will increase.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional office machine 1 comprises a main body 11, a unfoldable upper cover 12 disposed on the main body 11, and a control panel 13.
As shown in FIG. 2, another conventional office machine 2 comprises a main body 21, an unfoldable upper cover 22 disposed on the main body 21, and a control panel 23. Moreover, an automatic document feeder (ADF) 25 is disposed on the upper cover 22.
In order to keep away from the scan or copy region (i.e., the portion covered by the upper cover in the figures), the control panels 13 and 23 disposed on projective portions 14 and 24 projecting from front sides of the main bodies 11 and 21, respectively. The projective portions 14 and 24 projecting from the machines for disposition of the control panels 13 and 23 let volumes of the conventional office machines 1 and 2 be large, hence not meeting the requirement of miniaturization. Moreover, due to a large volume, material cost and packaging and transportation cost of the machine will be higher. Design of internal components thereof will also be much limited.
Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a modified control panel applied to office machines so as to resolve the problems in the prior art.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a modified control panel used in office machines so as to prevent the control panel from projecting from the machines. Therefore, the machines will have a smaller volume to meet the requirement of miniaturization. Moreover, material cost and packaging and transportation cost of the machines will be lowered. Limit to the design of internal components thereof will also be reduced.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a modified control panel used in office machines, which comprises a main body, an unfoldable upper cover connected at the main body, and a control panel disposed at the upper cover. Because the control panel is disposed at the upper cover, the machine size can be effectively shrunk to meet the requirement of miniaturization without affecting operational convenience, thereby reducing material cost and packaging and transportation cost of the machine to enhance the competitive capacity of product.